In the Shadows
by Celestial ohm
Summary: Zed and Akali were Master and Disciple, with maybe even something more than that, before Zed was exiled from the Kinkou Order. Now, after 5 years, they meet again in the League Of Legends. How will they react when they see each other again? Will they still feel the same way they felt back then? Rated M for violence and possible Lemon (All the champions are owned by Riot)
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes: Hey guys! New series! Its going to be going on the same time as The Demon's Blade. Don't worry, it wont slow down uploads, and I hope you guys enjoy! :D Oh and p.s. Can someone please do a cover picture for this for me? Please and thank you!**

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**Prologue**

Akali parried punch after punch from Zed, before countering with a left jab which he easily avoided. Zed grabbed her fist and pulled her towards him, faces only an inch away from each other. They looked into each other's eyes, Akali entranced by Zed's crimson red orbs, while Zed stared deep into Akali's emerald green irises. They leaned forwards toward each other, foreheads touching.

"You've improved," Zed said with a small smile. Akali blushed.

"I learned from the best," she replied, returning his smile. They pulled away, hands entwined, walking hand-in-hand towards the monastery. After walking a while, both simply enjoying each other's company without words,they came across Shen.

"Hey there brother," Shen called cheerily across to Zed.

"Hey Shen," Zed greeted Shen.

"How are things going with Irelia?" Zed asked, raising an eyebrow. Shen grunted, looking away.

"We've... been better." He replied with a shrug. Zed scratched his chin.

"Hmm... so you had another fight with her?" He concluded. Shen nodded unhappily. Akali grabbed Zed's arm and pulled him towards the monastery.

"We'll talk to her Shen, don't worry! We'll clear things up." Akali called back at Shen. Shen nodded his gratitude before continuing his way to the training grounds. Zed looked at Akali, eyebrows raised.

"How in the world are you going to do that? You know how she is when she's in a foul mood. She's impossible to talk to." Akali giggled and held his arm tighter.

"Don't forget, she's still a girl, and we girls have our ways," She said. Zed simply sighed and nodded.

"You're right at that... Well, I have to go to training with father and brother. See you later." Zed said as he started walking towards the direction of the training grounds.

"Alright Zed! See you soon!" Akali called before skipping away. Zed smiled, Akali was such a schoolgirl sometimes. Arriving at the training grounds, Zed soon met up with Shen and their father and master. Both bowing to each other, Zed and Shen got in fighting stances. Zed struck first, with a punch to Shen's left shoulder. The blow connected, but Shen soaked it up like it was nothing and countered with a right hook. Zed narrowly dodged the blow as he dodged with a backflip. Back on the ground, Zed dropped down to the ground in a leg sweep, and Shen jumped to dodge it. Predicting the move, Zed kicked off his left foot and launched himself into the air beside Shen. Zed threw a elbow jab, which Shen blocked. Shen countered with a left knee, which Zed parried, and used Shen's momentum to propel himself up in the air above Shen. Bringing his leg up and over, Zed pounded Shen into the ground with that final blow. Zed helped Shen up and they both bowed again.

"Phew, that was a good workout," Shen said with a good-natured grin. Zed nodded, and turned to the master. The master nodded.

"Good work Shen," He simply said before walking away. Zed looked at the master in disbelief. He won, but the master still chooses Shen over him. Angry, Zed walked away, ignoring Shen's attempts to placate him. _I'll teach him! I'll show him how strong I can really become!_ Zed thought as he headed for the forbidden chambers deep in the monastery.

Akali reached Irelia's quarters and knocked on her door. The door opened and it showed Irelia with red, puffy eyes, which indicated that she had been crying.

"It's okay Irelia, really. Shen is sorry, and would like you to give him another chance." Akali said immediately. Irelia nodded in gratitude and hugged Akali tight. Akali smiled and stroked her hair. Akali knew how much Irelia loved Shen. It was equal to the love Akali had for Zed, and she understood the pain Irelia was going through. They sat down and talked about what happened, and Akali managed to sufficiently calm Irelia down. Just then they heard shouts and many footsteps outside. Curious, they went to see what it was all about. When they reached the entrance to the courtyard, Akali catched parts of what they were saying.

"...Break in...Zed...Forbidden Arts...Master...Duel." Was all Akali could catch, before they went out of earshot again. With a sinking feeling in her heart, Akali ran as fast as she could to the Master's Quarters.

-At The Master's Quarters.-

Zed walked up towards the master.

"I am strong master, why do you only praise Shen but not me?" Zed shouted angrily, pulling out his gauntlets, blades sliding out from them.

"You are not strong Zed. That is why you had to steal the Forbidden Arts. If you are strong, duel me and prove it." The master said. Zed snarled and charged towards the Master. Pulling out a katana, the Master parried Zed's attacks, and retaliated with blinding speed, swinging the katana in an arc, cutting into Zed's side. But Zed melted away into a pool of dark shadows, appearing behind the Master. With a cry, he stabbed the master in the back, and his blades protruded out the other side of the Master's chest.

"And... That... Is... Why... you were never... Strong... Zed." He choked out, spitting blood.

"Shut up!" Zed yelled, and sliced the Master's head off his neck. At that moment, Shen ran into the room, breathing heavily. He took a look at the severed head and blanched.

"Zed... What have you done?" Shen yelled. Zed looked at Shen, his crimson eyes staring.

"I did what was necessary." He replied simply before turning to walk out of the room, head still in his hands.

"Killing father was necessary? You are turning mad Zed, this isn't you!" Shen yelled. Zed turned around, looking at Shen again.

"It was necessary for him to die, so I can have my honor back." Zed replied. Shen shook his head, steeling his nerve. He knew that Zed was stronger than him, but he had to defend Master's honor.

"I cannot accept you, Zed. You have the blood of our father on your hands." Shen said, pulling out his blades. Zed's eyes narrowed.

"You are weak, Shen. You were always weaker than I. You cannot hope to defeat me in combat." With that said, Zed charged towards Shen, body merging with the shadows, leaving a shadowy trail behind him. Shen parried the first strike, but the blade fazed right through his swords, turning into shadows. He then felt a pain in his thigh as the real Zed struck him, only Shen's training kept Zed's blade from stabbing into his chest. Shen turned and swung his blade at Zed, but the blade only passed through Zed, which turned into nothing but shadows once again. Zed slashed Shen's back, causing him to fall to his knees. Zed was about to strike the killing blow, but was interrupted by a female voice.

"Stop!" Akali cried as she and Irelia burst into the room, both panting heavily.

"Zed, why are you doing this?" Akali asked. Shen took that opportunity to strike Zed in the face, slashing him from side to side, leaving a huge gash, blood pouring out of the wound. Zed grunted as he felt the warm liquid flow down his face, dripping on the ground. He looked at Akali one last time.

"What I've done... Cannot be undone."

And Zed vanished into the shadows.

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**Author's Notes: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this prologue of In the Shadows. Updates will be coming regularly, so don't worry about that. I plan to have a new chapter every 1-3 days, depending on the time i have. If you enjoyed this chapter, review, favorite, and follow to show your support! Peace**

**-Celestial**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Hey guys! Here is Chapter 1 of In the Shadows. Updates is still going as planned :D Hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

Zed looked up at the Institute, cold eyes processing, as he proceeded to the main hall. Passing by many champions and summoners, who all stopped to stare at him as he went by. Ignoring the looks, he stepped into the Main Hall and was greeted by a room bustling with activity. Proceeding to the Elder's Council, he stepped in the room.

"Greetings Zed." A booming voice called. Zed simply stared, not fazed at all.

"We have been expecting you. I welcome you to the League Of Legends."

-In the Institute-

Akali sighed as she finished her daily training routine, body aching with effort. She looked over to Shen and Irelia, holding hands while having a conversation. Akali's heart tightened. How long has it been? How long has it been from the last time she felt such emotions? _Five years_ she thought bitterly. _Its been five years since I last saw him_. She went back to striking the dummies in front of her. After a few hours, her body was drenched with sweat. She wiped the sweat off her brow and started walking back to her room to take a bath. Passing by the lounge area where all the champions go to to talk and rest, there was more chatter than usual. Curious, she went inside the lounge, wondering what all the chatter was about. Looking around, Akali went to Kennen, who was talking to Ziggs.

"Hey, what's all the ruckus about?" Akali asked. Kennen turned around.

"Oh, hey Akali! Haven't you heard? There's a new champion joining the League. I heard that he was originally from Ionia." Akali nodded, wondering who the new champion could be.

"You know what I also heard?" Kennen asked. Akali shook her head, wondering what else he was going to tell her.

"I heard that he also can control shadows." Kennen said in a spooky voice, making Ziggs chuckle. Akali's blood ran cold. _Could it be?_ She didn't know how to react. True, she had once been in love with him, but...

She walked back to her room, still deep in thought. _What will he think once he sees me? What will he feel?_ She wondered, cold water running over her body. Stepping out of the shower and drying herself off, she put on her green dress she always wore. She sighed, fretting over this would be useless. For all she knew, it might not even be Zed. Sighing to herself again, she lay in bed and closed her eyes.

Akali's emerald green eyes blinked open, looking at the ceiling above. She yawned and stood up, body aching from last night's workout. She brushed her teeth and smoothed out her hair with a comb, tying it into a ponytail. Looking at her schedule, she groaned. She had a game today. She went to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. She ordered eggs and bacon, and went to sit with Shen, Irelia, and Kennen. They were talking about the new champion.

"Do you think it could be Zed?" Shen asked solemnly. Irelia took Shen's arm, comforting him.

"Even if it is Zed, you are much stronger than you were back then, I know you can beat him," Irelia comforted him. Shen smiled warmly at Irelia and gave her a peck in the lips. Akali's heart felt hollow, knowing that the person she once loved might not love her back anymore. Suddenly, the light in the cafeteria went off and a projector lowered to the center of the room. It featured a game. Everybody stopped talking and stared at the projection. On the blue team were Lee Sin, Tryndamere, Ziggs, Janna, and Jinx. On the purple team were Renekton, Kha'Zix, Sona, Caitlyn, and...

Zed.

Akali gasped, looking at the name under the masked figure, emotions clashing against each other in her body. Everybody at their table looked at Akali, faces sympathetic. They could imagine what she was feeling inside her, and she was glad that they care for her.

The game started, and Zed stood at the bushes by red to guard for an invade, when a well-placed ward by Sona revealed their Lee Sin, Ziggs, Jinx, and Janna going for an invade for Kha'Zix's red. Kha'zix, Caitlyn, and Sona immediately went to help Zed prevent the invade. But Akali knew that Zed's team would come too late to save him if he didn't run. But he's not moving. The cafeteria was filled with whispers and questions about what Zed was doing. Ziggs was way ahead of his team, face-checking the bush that Zed is in. Ready for Ziggs, Zed slashed Ziggs when he entered the bush. Zed then walked out of the bush, and Ziggs followed. Ziggs tossed a bouncing bomb point blank at Zed, who sidestepped with god-like reflexes and slashed Ziggs again. Before Ziggs could auto-attack Zed again, Zed walked back into the bush, cancelling Ziggs auto-attack and making Ziggs lose vision of him. Slashing at Ziggs again when he tried to enter the bush, taking Ziggs to under 10% HP. With one final blow, Zed finished Ziggs off before his team could arrive, and without taking any damage.

Amazed, the cafeteria went silent again, transfixed to the screen. Before long, Janna and Jinx arrived. Knowing Zed was in the bush, Jinx threw down her flame chompers, revealing the bush, and showed that there was no one in there. Confused, they turned around and saw Zed coming from the bush behind them, slashing them both once before entering the bush again. Janna cooked up a whirlwind, building up towards the bush. Janna then let the whirlwind fly towards the bush, but suddenly, a shadow appeared behind them. Seeing that it does not hurt them, they entered the bush, but saw nothing but another shadow. Jinx gasped in shock as she felt blades stab through her body, killing her in an instant.

"Double Kill," said the announcer as Jinx's body faded away in blue light. Janna auto-attacked Zed a few times, but was no match against an assassin as a support. She soon died, but not before she took Zed down to half health.

"Triple Kill," The announcer cried as Janna faded away.

Zed went down towards his turret, but out of nowhere, a blue ball of energy hit him in the back, dealing massive damage and hurting him a lot. From the impact, Zed's mask fell from his face, revealing the Zed Akali knew 5 years ago, except with a darker tint to it. There was also a long scar running across his face and above the bridge of his nose. Akali's heart lurched. Even after 5 years, she still could not throw away her feeling for him.

"Kyaaah!" Said a voice as Zed saw Lee Sin hurtling towards him, feet out. Thinking fast, Zed threw a shadow under his turret and quickly teleported to it, taking Lee Sin with him. Soaking up Lee Sin's kick, Zed let the turret hit him twice before finishing him off with a quick slash to the throat, and hitting level 2.

"Quadra Kill!" The announcer said as Lee Sin's body also faded away. Zed was badly wounded, having no more than a sliver of health left. But before he could go far, he heard a yell, and saw Tryndamere spinning towards him. With fast reactions, he flashed to the side, dodging Tryndamere's blades. Zed threw down his shadow behind Tryndamere and laughed.

"Weak fools." Was all he said before throwing his shuriken at Tryndamere.

"You can't kill me with one measly shuriken!" Tryndamere shouted at Zed, as Zed's shuriken hit him in the stomach. Sure enough, Tryndamere went down to half health, but didn't die. But suddenly, he felt a pain in his back as a second shuriken, this one black as shadows, hit him full force, killing him instantly.

"PENTA KILL!" The announcer shouted.

The cafeteria exploded with sound. Some people stood there in shock, like Akali was, but some were cheering, and yelling. _So strong..._ She thought. _A Penta Kill at level one... Unbelievable..._ Akali thought. She turned to look at her friends, and saw Shen standing there, his whole body shaking. Irelia noticed, and quickly took his hand and led him away from the cafeteria. Kennen jumped up and down.

"Did you see that? Did you see that? That was amazing! I don't know why this Zed person is so important to you guys, but THAT was amazing!" He cried, running around the cafeteria. Akali just watched in numb shock as Zed dominated the game, having the only kills on his team and denying the enemy team any kills. Purple team won the game 53 to 0. Unbelievable. The champions in the cafeteria went to greet the champions when they entered the cafeteria to take a break and eat. The last to walk in was Zed, and immediately, people went and crowded him.

"Where did he go?" Said a voice from the crowd.

"He just disappeared!" Said another voice.

The crowd parted and Akali saw that Zed was gone. Disappeared.

Like a shadow.

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**Author's Notes: Sup! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing it. Anyways, Review, follow, favorite, whatever you guys do to show your support if you enjoyed this chapter. Peace.**

**-Celestial**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Sup! Here's chapter 2 of In the Shadows. Hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 2**

-5 years earlier, the day before Zed's exile-

Walking up a hill, Akali sat under a cherry tree, looking out at the scenery underneath.

"Akali!" Called a voice behind her. She turned around to see Zed walking up to her before sitting beside her on the hill. He smiled, sitting down beside her. She smiled, leaning her head on Zed's shoulder.

"I was thinking..." She trailed off, embarrassed. Zed poked her in the cheek playfully.

"Tell," he said. She blushed.

"Well... I was wondering... Would you like to go out with me?" She asked her master, looking up into his crimson red ones. He smiled.

"Of course Akali. I've been waiting for you to say that for a year already. I knew how you felt about me by the way you looked at me."

Akali giggled. Was her love for him really that obvious? Well, she guessed that it had already been a year, and he was bound to found out at some point.

"So, is that a yes?" Akali asked.

"Of course," Zed said, a smile playing on his lips. Akali beamed and gave him a quick peck on the cheeks.

"So... How about tomorrow?" Akali asked happily, turning away from him and looking out to the horizon. There was no answer.

"Zed?" Akali turned her head back and looked at where Zed was at. But there was no Zed. In his place was a severed head, blood spilling from the neck, turning the hill into a river of blood. She gasped. She knew who the head belonged to.

It was Zed.

Akali woke up with a gasp, as the nightmare shocked her out of her sleep. She clutched at her heart, which was beating insanely fast. Looking at the clock by her bedside, it showed that it was 3 in the morning, outside was still dark. She decided that she couldn't sleep anymore and walked to the courtyard, wanting to have some air. She sensed movement in the courtyard ahead of her. Curious, she went to check who it was. Walking lightly on he balls of her foot, she slowly sneaked to the side of the courtyard, looking inside. She saw Zed training against five shadows at once, sweat glistening off his muscular body, with his mask off. He and his shadows fought with a wild type of grace, blocking and countering in sync. Her breath caught in her throat, feeling all her old feeling flood back in her again. Akali sensed something off while watching Zed train. She realized what it was. They fought in complete silence, with no sound at all.

_Like a shadow._ She thought. Suddenly, Zed stopped, and the shadows faded away into nothing. He turned towards her.

"I know you're there." He called. Akali's heart caught in her throat. Slowly, she stepped out into the light, amazed that he knew that she was there.

"How did you know?" She asked. Zed turned away, back towards her.

"I can recognize my own teachings." He replied before walking away. Akali's eyes widened. He remembers. He remembers about her. But how will he feel about her now?

"Wait, Zed! I want to talk to you!" Akali called out to Zed. He paused for a second.

"There's nothing more to discuss." He said, before disappearing into the shadows. Tears appeared in Akali's eyes. He doesn't feel the same way anymore. She dropped to her knees, tears flowing out of her eyes faster now. The only person she loved. The only person who she truly cared for, and the only person who truly cared for her. He was so close to her before, but now...

He couldn't be further away.

-The next morning-

Zed woke, bleary eyes slowly clearing up. He walked towards his bathroom, taking a shower and brushing his teeth before putting his mask back on. He went out of his room, but he didn't expect someone to be waiting for him there.

"Meet me in the sparring room at 5," Shen said before walking away. Zed looked at him in disgust. The weakling? Challenging him again?

He went to the training room, wanting to practice his new technique against the dummies in the training room. Entering the training room, he saw many other champions honing their techniques against the dozens of dummies strewn across the room. Since the room was huge, the dummies were put in intervals. Zed found a dummy that was unoccupied and went to it, prepping himself for training. So intense was his concentration that he didn't notice a pair of eyes on him.

Akali looked at Zed as he stood there, hands together to form a sign with his fingers. Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind the dummy. A black hole of shadow appeared under his feet and he fell into it disappearing. A minute later, he appeared behind the dummy, fingers poking the dummy in it's major pressure points. Since the dummies the League had was top quality and was programmed to have the same things that normal humans did, and that included pressure points, veins, etc.

Akali watched as Zed slashed the dummies body, slicing in a circle, shadows copying his exact moves, slicing the dummy three times as Zed and both his shadows hit it. Three seconds later, the dummy exploded, all the pressure from the pressure points Zed hit and his continued slashes against it cause the blood flow to build up too much pressure, which caused in all the arteries and veins inside the dummy to explode. Unbelievable, she thought. Since the dummies cost a lot, they were also extremely durable, and could stand even a fully charged Nunu ult.

The other champions all stopped and stared as Zed destroyed, shocked at his strength. He just turned and walked out of the training room.

-At 5 p.m.-

Zed walked in the sparring room, his piercing crimson gaze turned to Shen.

"What have you called me here for, weakling?" Zed asked, narrowing his eyes at Shen.

"Spar me, no weapons or shadows. Just unarmed combat. If I win, you leave the League right now." He snarled at Zed.

"And if I win?" Zed asked with a dark chuckle. Shen turned to Zed.

"Then I give your honor back." Shen said. Zed chuckled louder.

"You have no hope of defeating me, fool. But I will humor you, and fight." Zed said, before dropping his armor and weapon. Shen did the same, taking up a fighting stance. Then, Shen ran at Zed, fist raised into a punch. Zed blocked Shen's punch and countered with a left hook, who soaked it up and used his left fist and went for a punch on Zed's ribs. Zed grabbed Shen's fist and elbowed Shen in the face, connecting it and throwing Shen's head to the side. Zed then pressed his advantage and kneed Shen in the stomach, causing him to double over. Zed raised his other elbow and brought it down on Shen's head, slamming it into the ground. Zed grabbed Shen's neck, holding him in a hold. Zed could snap Shen's neck at any time, and Shen knew that. Zed laughed.

"Surrender fool. You had no hope of defeating me."

"No," Shen managed to say through gritted teeth. Zed looked down on him. His former brother and friend.

But not anymore. With a flick of his wrist, Zed turned Shen's head to the side, about to snap his neck and end his life.

"Stop!" A voice shouted. Zed turned his head, and there stood Akali and Irelia. Suddenly, an image flashed through his head.

_It was back in Ionia, in the Master's Quarters. Zed was about to end Shen's life with one final blow._

_"Stop!" A voice called. Zed turned his head, and there stood Akali and Irelia._

Zed snapped back to the present, dropping Shen and holding his head in his hands. A terrible headache overcame him, and his helmet dropped to the ground. Akali gasped. The scar across Zed's face turned a terrible black color, and his eyes turned completely black. But Zed blinked, and his eyes returned to their normal crimson red color, scar turning back to the normal color against his face. Zed turned, picked up his mask and left without another word. Akali ran. She ran out the training room, ran past the lounge room, past her room, and into the library. She heard about such things before. She knew what happened to Zed the moment he took the forbidden knowledge.

He was possessed.

**Author's Notes: Yo! Updates are still coming up as planned. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Review, follow, favorite, do whatever you do to show your support if you liked this chapter. Peace.**

**-Celestial**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Hey, i'm sorry for updating this so late, but I was caught up in tests and exams for school. Anyways, this is Chapter 3 of In the Shadows. Hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3**

Akali looked up from the book, heart thumping with excitement. If Zed really was possessed, Akali might, _Just Might,_ have a chance of bringing him back. She ran up to Ryze, the librarian and mage.

"Ryze!" Akali called over to him. He looked up from the book he was reading.

"Why hey there Akali!" Ryze smiled.

"I was wondering if you had any books about unpossessing?" Akali asked. Ryze laughed, doubling over, hands slapping the table.

"Akali, there is no such thing. Once someone is possessed, they are possessed forever." Ryze said, wiping tears from his eyes from laughing too hard. Akali's heart sank.

"So... You can't unpossess someone?" Akali asked unhappily. Ryze shook his head. Tears popped into her eyes. She was so close, but now, she didn't know what to do.

"But, there is a way to control the thing possessing them, if someone was possessed." Ryze said to Akali. Her eyes brightened instantly.

"How do you do that?" Akali asked eagerly.

"It seems that you really want to help someone," Ryze said. "Who is it?"

"Zed." Akali said. Ryze nodded, understanding her predicament.

"Helping the person to control their possessive spirit can not be accomplished by one person. The possessed must have extreme amounts of willpower." Akali nodded, memorizing it down, determined to remember.

"Second, the possessed must have very strong emotions for the person, to snap him out of the trance that the possessive spirit takes him into." Ryze told Akali.

"And last, the possessed and the helper must be opposite genders, and must stay together after that. If the helper leaves the possessed person by themselves for too long, the possessive spirit will come back, and it will be much, much harder for the person to control it again."

Akali nodded, understanding the conditions.

"How do you do it?" Akali asked.

"I can send both of you to unconsciousness, and both of you will overcome any obstacles that you face. Do you understand?" Ryze asked. Akali nodded.

"Okay, I will call Zed here, and we can start." Akali said. Akali ran through the hallways, searching for Zed. Finally, she saw him meditating by the fountain, legs crossed and eyes closed. Akali slowly walked up to him.

"What do you want, Akali?" Zed asked coldly without looking up or opening his eyes.

"Come with me, I... I need to show you something." Akali said. Zed opened his crimson red eyes, looking up at Akali. Zed got up, now looking down at Akali. Akali walked away, Zed keeping a short distance behind Akali.

"Whatever this is, it better be good. You interrupted my meditation session." Zed growled. Akali said nothing, and just walked on to the library. Upon reaching the library, Ryze came out to meet them.

"Zed, please, come here and sit beside the chair with Akali." Zed's brow furrowed in confusion, but he complied. Akali sat beside them, and nodded at Ryze. Suddenly, Ryze's hands came over both of their heads and all went dark.

Akali woke up in a field beside Zed. Zed slowly sat up, looking around him, eyes landing on Akali.

"Where have you taken me?" He growled, arm-blades springing out of his gauntlet.

"I have taken you here to help you control the spirit inside of you." Akali told him. Suddenly, the sky went from bright blue to dark red, the moon a blood-red color. Akali gasped in shock, taking a step back. There was a cloud of darkness gathering on the other side of the field. Zed looked in shock as the darkness spoke.

"You are fools to come and try to control me. I am Loki, the darkness inside you!" The cloud of darkness rasped out, a finger pointing at Zed.

"I don't know why you are inside me, but I definitely know one thing. I know that I don't want YOU inside me." Zed snarled, stepping forwards. Akali walked up behind him, arms wrapped around her body in fear.

"Zed, you have to defeat that monstrosity to control him." Akali said. Zed looked at her, his crimson red eyes piercing her emerald green eyes.

"I was going to do that anyways. Don't tell me what do do." Zed growled at her. Akali shrank back again. Zed looked back at the monstrosity, running his tongue over his lips.

"Lets dance." Was all he said before running towards the darkness with his blades out. He jumped and threw a shadow behind the cloud of darkness. He slashed in a circle, his shadow copying his exact movements, slashing the cloud of darkness. The darkness roared, form spazzing out. Zed roared as he stabbed the darkness over and over. He threw another shadow behind the cloud and threw a shuriken, the shadow also throwing a pure black shadow shuriken. The shurikens stuck on the cloud, making its roar even louder. Then, an arm came crashing down on Akali, and Zed saw it. Akali's eyes widened as the arm came over her head, preparing to smash her into a pulp. _So this is how it ends,_ she thought. The arm descended.

Zed felt something shift inside him, and something inside him compelled him to save Akali. She stood there in shock as the arm was descending. Then, Zed pushed her out of the way, and the arm crashed onto him. He coughed out blood as a rib broke, and cut many arteries inside him. Akali looked at him in shock.

"Zed... Why...?" She muttered weakly as she saw his state. Zed coughed again, causing him to go onto the floor on his knees. Akali ran over to him, one hand on his back and one hand on his shoulder.

"Zed! Are you okay?" Akali cried. Zed pushed her back.

"Stay back," He coughed out. Akali reluctantly backed away as Zed shakily stood up. His hands then formed into a sign and a shadow appeared behind the darkness. He then sunk into a black hole that appeared under him and appeared behind the cloud of darkness. The darkness held a form of a human at that moment, and with blinding speed, Zed struck all of its pressure points. Then, he stabbed the darkness and teleported far far away to his other shadow. 3 seconds later, the darkness exploded with an unearthly roar.

Zed fell to his knees, coughing out blood and fell onto the ground. Akali ran over to him, concerned and afraid of his health. Suddenly, they were transported out of the field and back to the library. Akali looked beside her and realized that Zed retained his injuries and he was bleeding all over the floor.

"Ryze! Help!" Akali yelled, and Ryze hurried over to them.

"I'll call the medics." Ryze said, and immediately went over to call them. Akali kneeled beside Zed, taking his head onto her lap.

"Zed... Zed... I'm sorry." Akali sobbed out, tears dripping on his face. Zed's eyes opened in little slits.

"No..., Akali... I'm..*Cough* I'm sorry." Zed managed out, before losing consciousness again from blood loss. At that moment, dozens of medics came out, four were carrying stretchers. They picked Zed up and brought him into the hospital.

Zed woke up in an unfamiliar place. He looked around and realized that he was in a hospital. He felt a pressure on his lower leg and looked down. He saw Akali sleeping on his leg, strands of hair falling over her face. The glow from the setting sun glowed on her face, making it to seem like it was glowing. Zed had forgotten how beautiful she was until this day.

Akali stirred, and her eyes opened to see a fully awake Zed staring down at her. She sat up in shock.

"Zed! I'm so glad you're awake!" She cried, flinging her arms around Zed, head leaning on his chest, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry Zed! I'm so sorry!" She sobbed, face against Zed's chest. Zed looked down at her. He put a hand on the back of her head.

"No, Akali... I'm sorry." He said, and embraced her. Akali looked up at him in shock. Has he come back to her? Has his feeling returned?

"Zed... Zed please. Stay with me this time." She begged, looking up at him, her emerald green eyes overflowing with tears, looking up at him. She saw recognition in his eyes, and also... Sadness.

"Akali, I... I can't." He said with a great sadness in his tone.

"Why? Why Zed? Is it because of me?" Akali asked. Zed shook his head.

"Its because of me... If you stay with me, I can't give you a happy life. My honor was lost 5 years ago. I can't regain it, and I want you to keep yours. You shouldn't stay with me. You should find someone that really makes you happy and stay with him. I have already caused you too much sadness." Zed said. Akali looked straight in his crimson red eyes, realizing that for the first time, she wasn't afraid.

"Zed. I only want to stay with you."

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**Author's Notes: Hey, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will try to update more regularly. Review, follow, favorite, whatever you guys do to show your support if you enjoyed. Peace.**

**-Celestial**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Hey guys, I wanted to make up for lost time, so I wrote this chapter in one day. I hope you enjoy! This is Chapter 4 of In the Shadows. Thank you guys for all your support, I appreciate it. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if someone could make a cover picture for this story? Anyways, on with the story.**

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**Chapter 4**

Zed looked at Akali in shock, blown away by what she said.

"Akali... I don't deserve someone like you." Zed said bitterly, looking away. Akali put her hands around Zed's face, gently turning it to her.

"Zed, listen. I don't want anyone but you, so don't try to change my mind," Akali said, looking deep into his crimson red ones. They both looked into each others eyes, breath pushing through the air. Then, the door opened and Shen came through with Irelia. They looked at Akali and Zed.

"Um, we'll be back." Irelia said and led Shen out the room. Akali and Zed separated, still looking each other in the eyes. Akali's eyes twinkled.

"Hey Zed, remember the date you promised me?" Akali asked. Zed smiled and nodded. Akali's lips went up in a smile.

"I'll take you up on it." She said, pecking him on the cheek before standing up and walking to the door.

"Akali." Zed said, and Akali turned around.

"I'll meet you at 5 tomorrow." Zed smiled, and Akali's smiled widened.

"See you at 5 Zed." Akali said before leaving out through the door. Zed leaned back on the bed, looking out at the sunset through the window. He must be the luckiest man alive to have a girl like Akali. His mind wandered back to the past.

-8 Years ago-

"Zed! Starting today, you are a fully recognized ninja. Tomorrow, you will meet your new apprentice." His master and adopted father said. Zed nodded in excitement, wondering what kind of person his apprentice would be. Zed hoped that he would be strong, and have potential.

Zed woke up in excitement. Today was the day he got his first apprentice. At the front doors of the monastery, there approached a girl, about a year younger than him. His master went to stand beside him.

"That will be your apprentice, Zed." He said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Zed looked in shock and disappointment. His apprentice was a _girl_? Zed looked back up to his master.

"It must be wrong. She can't be my apprentice." Zed said. The master shook his head.

"This is your apprentice Zed. You will be teaching her for the next 3 years."

As the days passed into weeks, and the weeks passed into months, Zed got used to his new apprentice, and even began to grow fond of her.

_One day 2 years after he met Akali._

Zed looked at the piece of jewelry in his hand. It was an elegant brooch designed with fine gold and sparkling diamonds. He smiled. It was his gift to Akali. He reached Akali's room, and raised a hand. He rapped the door softly with his knuckles and waited. Before long, Akali opened the door. She looked at Zed with a big smile.

"Zed-sensei!" She said. Zed nodded with a smile.

"Akali, I have something I want to give you." Zed said. Akali looked at Zed, confusion on her face.

"What is it Zed?"

"Can I come in?" Zed asked. Akali nodded and stepped aside. Zed stepped in, and Akali closed the door behind them. They went to kneel on a floor mat.

"Akali, I want to give you a gift." He said, pulling out a small box containing the jewelry. Zed slowly opened it, revealing the glittering brooch. Akali's eyes widened.

"So we don't forget each other." Zed said, as he put it around Akali's neck. She looked at him, tears glittering in her eyes.

"Oh Zed," she said, out of words. She rushed up and hugged him. He hugged her back.

"I don't ever want to lose you Akali." Zed said when they parted, looking deep into each other's eyes. Akali stared into Zed's crimson red eyes, filled with emotion, as Zed stared into Akali's green emerald eyes, reflecting the same emotion in his. Slowly, they leaned together, and their lips met.

-Back to the Present-

Zed snapped back to reality, realizing it was already morning. He stretched after his sleep, and stood up. His ribs were already healed due to the magic used by the league. He walked out of the hospital room, walking to the cafeteria. The cafeteria's loud conversations lowered as he entered, as they always did when he entered. He took his food and went back to his room to eat. After he finished, glowing blue rings appeared around him as he realized that he was being summoned to a game.

The blue team consisted of Hecarim in the jungle, Zed in the top lane, Akali in the mid lane, Vayne and Lux in the bot lane.

The purple team consisted of Zac in the jungle, Nasus top lane, Xerath in the mid lane, and Caitlyn and Thresh in the bot lane.

As the game started, Zed was teleported in his team's fountain along with the other 4 members of his team. He looked at Akali and she smiled back at him. Without further ado, he bought his items and went top lane.

Needless to say, he destroyed Nasus top lane, winning his lane 5 to 0 in the first 10 minutes. Mid was also doing well, Akali winning against Xerath in farm 50-43, although their scores were still 0 to 0. The bot lane weren't doing so hot, Vayne getting destroyed by Caitlyn's long range and Thresh's cc. Their combined scores in the bot lane was 2-9.

Towards mid game, the team scores were tied 33-33, with Zed having 17 kills and 0 deaths. Akali destroyed Xerath when she got 6, winning 13-5, with the enemy jungler ganking her many times. Bot lane was completely decimated, losing 3-28. The enemy Caitlyn had 25 kills and the Thresh had 3. Then, a gruesome teamfight broke out in the mid lane, Vayne being focused down first, as she was still adc, although she was being shut down pretty hard. She died instantly after being caught out by Thresh's hook.

Zed threw his shadows in the fight, and wrecked havoc against the enemy team, getting a double kill against Xerath and Nasus before teleporting away. The enemy Caitlyn went to work shredding their team, killing Hecarim, Vayne and Lux easily. It was only Akali and Zed left, both slightly injured. Suddenly, a red laser sight pointed at Akali. Cailtyn's ult aiming at her. A huge bullet suddenly sped towards Akali, about to slam into her. Then, out of nowhere, Zed teleported in with his shadow and blocked the shot, the bullet going into his shoulder.

He grunted and fell to one knee. Akali ran to him.

"Zed! Zed, not again! I'm so sorry. Why did you do it?" Akali cried, holding him.

"Its fine, just focus on the fight." Zed said and stood up. The enemy still had 3 people left full health. Zac pulled back on the ground, preparing his fling. He released, and he flew towards Zed. With extremely fast reflexes, Zed teleported away, Zac landing in the spot where he once was. His shadow threw a shuriken at Zac before slicing in a circle. Zac was badly wounded, and he retreated to his team. Suddenly, Thresh threw a hook at Akali, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to dodge it. Accepting her fate, she closed her eyes and waited for the impact of the hook to hit her, but Zed flashed in front of her and took the chain for her.

He coughed blood as the chain flew at him, the tip digging into his chest. He turned to look at a shocked Akali.

"Run.." He said before Thresh's team collapsed on Zed, killing him instantly. Akali retreated, tears in her eyes as she ran back to her fountain. Zed and Akali lost the game, when all three of the enemy team pushed hard against the base, with Akali unable to stop them. Soon, the game was over and each champion was teleported back to their rooms.

Soon after the game, Zed heard knocking on his door.

"Come in," he called, and Akali stepped into the room. She closed the door behind her, and sat next to Zed next to his bed.

"I... I'm so sorr-" She said, before Zed put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"If you apologize for every mistake you have done, I would have to spend my entire lifetime apologizing to you." Zed said. Akali nodded mutely, and Zed pulled his finger away.

"I have something to give you." Zed said to Akali, pulling out something from behind his back. It was a bracelet, studded with gems and precious material. Akali's breath caught in her throat. Zed took Akali's hand and put the bracelet on her wrist, fitting snugly.

"Zed.. I- I have nothing to say." Akali said, breathless. They looked deep into each other's eyes, unrecognizable emotions in their eyes. Slowly, their heads leaned towards each other, softly.

Their lips met.

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**Author's Notes: Heeeey! Its finally finished! I hope you guys enjoy. Also, pm me if you have a cover picture for this story. I would greatly appreciate it. Follow, favorite, review, do whatever you guys do to show your support if you enjoyed this chapter. Peace.**

**-Celestial**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:** Well guys. Here I am. I really have no excuse for leaving that long, but I'll just blame that on writer's block. :P

P.S: I need an actual cover photo for this, so I would really appreciate it if someone helped me? 3.

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**Chapter 5**

The next morning, Akali walked in the long passageways of the League with a newfound spring in her step.

"Irelia! It's time to wake up!" Akali cheerfully barged into Irelia's room without warning and flipped her blankets off the bed, revealing a startled Irelia… and Shen. On Irelia's bed. _Naked._

"Um." Akali awkwardly turned around and left, making sure to shut the door tight behind her. Irelia and Shen looked at each other with red faces, their bodies still intertwined from the previous night. Detangling from each other, they quickly dressed and left the room, where Akali was waiting with a

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) expression.

"Shut up," Irelia grumbled with a red face as they walked down to the cafeteria. Pantheon was there being the greatest cafeteria lady – or man – ever as usual.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite ninjas! What would you guys like to order today? We have the flavoured rocks fresh from the Krugs! Malphite really enjoys these. The flavours are barbeque, salted, sweet, or salty rocks. If these don't sate your taste buds, you can try the smoked raptor meat specially hunted from the raptors." Pantheon rambled on with excitement when talking about food – as always.

"We'll have the usual, Panth. You know the drill." Akali laughs.

"What's got you so cheerful, Akali?" Irelia asked curiously. Akali was in a gloomy mood ever since Zed came to the league, and was always in a slightly sorrowful state ever since the first incident with Zed back at the Kinkou.

"Ah, nothing," Akali smiled. Irelia looked at Akali suspiciously, before arriving at their usual table, and they sat down to eat.

"Mind if I join?" Akali looked up to see Zed standing behind her, holding his plate of food. Shen and Irelia bristled conspicuously when Zed spoke. Shen particularly emanated an aura of hostility and anger.

"Never mind." Noticing that he was not wanted, Zed turned and walked across the room, sitting by himself again. Shen and Irelia loosened up a bit after Zed left, but some hostility remained nonetheless.

"I will kill him, I swear on my honor." Shen swore, looking at Zed with red eyes filled with anger. Irelia slightly patted his back, comforting him and telling him that he wasn't alone. Akali looked between her friends and her lover before taking her food and standing up.

"I'll be back," she told them before moving over and sitting next to Zed while Shen and Akali looked on in shock.

"Hey guys! What's up? Why the long faces?" Kennen sat down next to them with his tray of food before noticing that the atmosphere around the table was slightly off. Irelia pointed at Zed and Akali who were talking and laughing side-by-side.

"Whoooa, slow down there, cowboy. Is that THE Zed? Master of Shadows? Enemy of the Kinkou? Murderer of Mentors? Traitor to the Order?" Kennen gasped, shocked (get it? K), at the sight of Zed and Akali acting so comfy together.

"Shut up, Kennen," Irelia said, as she saw Shen's face getting darker and darker.

"So… Did I miss something?" Kennen asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, we're confused as well," Irelia said, looking back at the couple.

"It's time for my game," Zed said to Akali after finishing his food. Looking at Akali, his face softened, and they held hands.

"Yeah… Good luck, Zed. And… Watch out, please." Akali looked deep into Zed's eyes and felt a tugging at her heartstrings.

"If I see you get hurt again, I don't think I could take it, so please… stay safe." Akali said softly, before reaching up and giving Zed a kiss.

"Don't worry, I will stay safe." Zed said after their lips parted. A short while later, blue rings wrapped around him, signaling the start of the transportation process into Summoner's Rift. Their hands stayed intertwined until Zed's hands faded into blue light, causing an empty feeling to appear in Akali's heart. She consoled herself by saying that at least he would only be gone for a little while, and she turned to the big screen on the wall of the cafeteria to see the game. On the blue team was Zed in the mid lane, Rumble in the top lane, Master Yi in the jungle, Varus as ADC, and Alistar as the support. On the red team was Syndra in the mid lane, Renekton in the top lane, Rengar in the jungle, Lucian as the ADC, and Soraka as the support. Once Zed got in his game, his aura went ice-cold, no trace of his previous warmness was seen. After purchasing his items, he went straight to the mid lane without a word to his teammates. Under the opponent turret, he could see Syndra floating there with her dark spheres spiraling around her.

"Hey, handsome." She said, her eyes roaming up and down his body. Zed left his mask back at the cafeteria table, so his face could be seen by everybody. Ignoring her, Zed focused on farming minions, because of Syndra's ability to zone him out. Every time Zed killed a minion, Syndra made swooning noises and complimented Zed on his handsomeness repeatedly, annoying him until he could stand it no more. Once he hit level 6, Zed sank in a dark shadowy pit and appeared behind Syndra and started slashing away, hitting all his skillshots. Before he could strike again, the air twisted beside Zed, and one of Syndra's spheres manifested, dealing a large amount of damage to the terrain around it, and also catching Zed in its radius. Hit by the sphere, Zed staggered back, and Syndra blew out a psychic wave, pushing the sphere at Zed, hitting him in the chest. Zed fell on the ground, trying to recover from the impact. Finally having shook the pain off, Zed looked up to see a dark sphere dropping down on him, but before it hit, he disappeared, leaving only a shadow in his place. The sphere slammed down on his shadow, but he already teleported next to Syndra, and slashed at her. The built up pressure from Zed's death mark finally popped, causing all the built up damage to be released, instantly bursting Syndra from more than half health to zero. Before she died, she released multiple spheres at Zed, striking him in the chest, and talking his health dangerously low. Zed managed to get away with a sliver of health, causing Akali who was watching to sigh with relief. Back in base, Zed frowned. That fight was closer than what he would have liked. Arriving back in lane, he found Syndra already there farming minions. Seeing him, she giggled.

"Ooh, you're not just handsome but you're also strong. I love bad boys like you." She moaned seductively, causing even Zed's attention to waver a little. Cursing under his breath, he gritted his teeth and willed him not to concentrate on Syndra and to continue farming the minions. Currently, Zed's team had 6 kills while the other team had 4 kills. Zed is 1/0/0, Rumble is 0/2/0, Master Yi is 2/1/3, Varus is 3/0/2, and Alistar is 0/1/5. On the other team, Syndra is 0/1/0, Renekton is 2/0/0, Rengar is 0/0/1, Lucian is 1/0/0, and Soraka is 0/5/1. Syndra was effectively supressing Zed, pushing up the lane when he leaves and controlling the wave to her advantage. Frustrated, Zed threw out his shadow while throwing out his shuriken at the same time. The shadow pulled out a jet-black shuriken as it threw it as well, perfectly synchronizing with Zed's movements. Syndra was struck on both sides as she staggered, but then she smiled, showing her pure white teeth.

"Gotcha," she smiled. Suddenly, from behind him, Zed saw Rengar leaping out at him from nowhere, digging his claws into his back. Snarling, Zed fell onto his knees as Rengar dug his claws even deeper in to his back, pressing him down. Back at the League, Akali gasped, her hands at her heart. Syndra took the opportunity to follow up as threw her sphere down on Zed, smashing him to the ground. Spitting out blood, Zed struggled to his knees before being slammed down again by Syndra's sphere. On the other side of the map, his teammates were grouped up and piercing through the enemy's base, on their way to the nexus. Before the enemy nexus fell, Zed felt his chin lifted up by two delicate fingers, and he felt himself looking in Syndra's mesmerising eyes. Before he knew it, she moved in and covered his lips with hers, causing Zed's eyes to widen. After Syndra parted, she giggled and licked her lips with a blush.

"I'll be seeing you, cowboy." She said with a naughty tone as her nexus was finally destroyed. Teleporting back to the League, Zed angrily grabbed his mask when he saw Akali absent and stalked back angrily to his own room. After a while, he heard a sharp tapping at his door. Opening the door, Zed was surprised to find Shen there with a furious look on his face. Shen stepped forwards and grabbed Zed's collar, slamming him into the wall.

"What have you done to Akali?" He shouted angrily. "Don't you dare go near her again!" He threatened angrily.

"Or what?" Zed laughed provocatively, causing Shen's anger to surge even more. "You can't do anything to me." Zed laughed.

"Fight me in a duel." Shen growled, stalking away to the sparring room.  
"You fool, do you never learn?" Zed laughed, entering the sparring room.

"Take your weapon," Shen growled.

"I don't need a weapon to beat you," Zed taunted, laughing maliciously at Shen.

"So be it." Shen said, also not grabbing a weapon. Shen immediately stepped forward and threw a wild right hook, blinded by his anger. Surprisingly, it hit, and Zed's head snapped to the right, spitting out some blood. His anger still not abated, Shen threw a flurry of blows, while Zed just stood there, taking them. He got hit by a hard punch, causing him to stumble back, his mask flying off. His wild hair covered one eye, while his face already started to have hints of bruises. Shen threw a roundhouse kick aimed at Zed's head, causing him to fly to the side, smashing his head on the floor. Coughing, Zed slowly pushed himself up halfway before Shen kicked him again in the side, causing him to fly off the stage and into a wall. Zed spit up a mouthful of blood and slid down the wall, his body limp from pain. Before he could completely slide down the wall, Shen speared his feet into Zed's body, breaking his ribs. Zed growled in pain, and held his ribs, having no more strength to move. Sitting half propped up on the wall, Shen straddled Zed and started punching him left and right, with Zed having no more strength to resist, causing him to waver half in and out of consciousness.

Akali was looking for Zed at the end of the match to comfort him, the kiss Zed had with Syndra slightly bothering her, but it was pretty obvious it was forced. Looking around, she couldn't find where he was, and the table that once held his mask was gone. Seeing Irelia walk by with a distracted expression, she tapped her on the shoulder in agitation. Seeing it was Akali, Irelia stopped with a serious expression.

"What did Zed do to you?" She asked, looking at her closely in worry.

"Nothing! Why do you think that?" Akali asked.

"You were angry at him just a week before, but now you two are acting like you're a couple again? I don't think so." Irelia puffed.

"No, he really changed, Irelia. He's not like what he was before. It was because he was being controlled!" Akali argued, feeling more than a little peeved.

"By the gods, Akali. What has he done to you? Don't worry, we will get you back to normal after Shen deals with Zed." Irelia said, shaking her head.

"Wait… what do you mean after Shen deals with Zed?" Akali asked agitatedly, a sinking feeling rising in her heart.

"Shen's probably beating some sense into Zed right now." Irelia said, walking towards the sparring room. Akali rushed towards the sparring room.

_Zed, please don't hurt him. I don't want you to succumb to darkness again._

Barging through the door, Akali witnessed Shen kick Zed into the wall followed up with the spear kick that broke Zed's ribs. Hearing the cracking of bone, Akali felt as if her heart was grasped by a cold hand.

_Why didn't he fight back?_

Straddling Zed, Shen finally landed a blow right in Zed's jaw, causing Zed's vision to flicker repeatedly like a light bulb that is about to die.

"ZED!"

Akali ran to him. Pushing Shen off, she took Zed in her arms softly and cradled his head with tears in her eyes.

"Why?" That was all she could ask. Zed smiled weakly.

"I… don't want to… lose you… again."


End file.
